Generally speaking, it is known for fuel injection manifolds to use connection devices with a tubular male termination that fits in sealed manner inside a tubular female termination or “canula” by means of a flexible connecting member that is mounted on and fastened to the male termination and that may be locked at its axially interior end into a circumferential internal groove of the female termination under the control of a locking member cooperating with an axially exterior part of that connecting member.
There may be cited for example the document WO A 2007/042344 which describes a device of this kind in which the connecting member includes two diametrically opposite axial arms that are formed in one piece with the male termination and that are locked elastically into the groove of the female termination by bending them in the radial direction, opposing them being pulled out axially.
A major drawback of such a known connection device is that as soon as the male termination is locked into the female termination but the connecting member is not positioned in the connecting groove of the female termination it is no longer possible thereafter to move the connecting member into that groove.
The document EP A 2 236 894 in the name of the Applicant describes a connection device of another type including a locking member to be mounted around a male termination and the axially interior end of which is adapted to be connected to the groove of the female termination and is formed by connecting lugs that are elastically deformable when bent radially. Each of these lugs is adapted to be immobilized in a locking position against the groove, following a thrust applied to the locking member, via bending of the lugs in contact with guide and locking assistance ramps associated with those lugs that project radially on the male termination.
The connection device described in the latter document is entirely satisfactory because it meets the sealing and mechanical strength requirements specific to fuel injection manifolds in particular. These ramps and these associated lugs notably provide a “self-locking” function with the device in the locking position, thanks to the radial compression force exerted by the ramps on the lugs, pressing them into the groove, which force increases in proportion to the pressure of the fluid circulating in the male termination. This results in more secure functioning of the device even at high pressures.